Spherical device for conditioning fabrics in dryer

ABSTRACT

A device for conditioning fabrics in a dryer comprising a spherical-shaped body having a plurality of openings therein which are filled with a solid-type fabric conditioner. Since the spherical body is of a resilient material, there will be little noise or vibration caused thereby during the drying cycle.

United States Patent II II 3,633,538

Inventor Melvin W. l-loeflin Metuchen, NJ.

Appl. No. 82,463

Filed Oct. 20, 1970 Patented Jan. 11, 1972 Assignee Colgate-Palmolive Company New York, N.Y.

SPHERICAL DEVICE FOR CONDITIONING FABRICS IN DRYER 9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 1 18/76, 68/20, 68/212, 239/34 Int. Cl B05c 11/00 Field of Search l 18/76-78,

417,418; 117/D1G. 1, 109; 51/1645; 68/20, 243 R, 233, 212; 34/60; 184/1 R; 239/34, 53, 54

[56] Relerences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 419,079 1/1890 Sherwood 1 18/76 1,207,010 12/1916 Flax 118/78 UX 2,218,037 10/1940 Duers et a1 239/54 2,817,603 12/1957 Louis 117/109X 2,941,309 6/1960 Cobb 34/60 3,132,043 5/1964 Clayton 117/109 Primary Examiner-Morris Kaplan AttorneysHerbert S. Sylvester, Murray H. Grill, Norman Blumenkopf, Ronald S. Cornell, Thomas J. Corum, Richard N. Miller and Robert L. Stone ABSTRACT: A device for conditioning fabrics in a dryer comprising a spherical-shaped body having a plurality of openings therein which are filled with a solid-type fabric conditioner. Since the spherical body is of a resilient material, there will be little noise or vibration caused thereby during the drying cycle.

SII-IERICAL DEVICE FOR CONDITIONING FABRICS IN DRYER This invention relates to the treatment of fabrics in a dryer and more particularly to a device for holding a fabric conditioner and for releasing the conditioning material when placed with clothes during the normal drying cycle in a household dryer.

Various fabric conditioners have been devised which are designed to be released during the normal dryingcycle of a household dryer for conditioning the clothes. In the past, the fabric conditioning material has been coated on various types of fabric material, plastic sheet material, and the like and has generally been satisfactory for only a single use because the coating is relatively thin.

The coated fabric or plastic material heretofore used has generally been stiff and of such a size as to cause noise or vibration in the dryer during at least the early stages of use thereof.

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior fabric conditioners by providing a resilient spherical body having a hollow center and opening therein for reception of a solid-type fabric conditioner. By use of the spherical shape, the fabric conditioner will be evenly released from all portions of the spherical-shaped body and because of the fact that the body is spherical in shape, there will be less noise and vibration when tumbling in the dryer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a spherical-shaped body of closed cell styrofoam, which is relatively light in weight so as to reduce or eliminate vibration and noise in the dryer when the fabric conditioner is being used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for conditioning fabrics in a dryer which is spherical in shape and has a hollow cylinder and is provided with openings for controlled dispensing of the fabric-conditioning material while permitting use and reuse of the device over an extended period of time.

The openings which can be formed in the spherical body may be in the form of wedge-shaped segments, bores, or openings of substantially rectangular shape or of such other shape and size as otherwise is found suitable. For a given drying period, the degree of softening will be controlled by the amount of conditioning material exposed and therefore the dimensions and number of openings in the spherical-shaped body.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a device for conditioning fabrics in a dryer that is simple in construction, capable of being manufactured by mass production methods, and which is especially pleasing in appearance and easy for the housewife to use and reuse.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the present invention, which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this device for conditioning fabrics in a dryer, preferred embodiments of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. I is an elevational view of a device constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the plane of line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a radial sectional view of the embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a further embodiment of the invention; and,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of yet another modification of the invention.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 is used to generally designate a device for conditioning fabrics in a dryer in accordance with the concepts of the present invention. The

device I0 includes a ball or spherical-shaped body [2 of closed cell styrofoam or other slmllar synthetic plastic foam material having a characteristic of resiliency and light weight. If desired, the body 12 may have a hollow center, but in the form of the invention as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of wedge-shaped segments forming openings 14 are provided in the spherical body I2 and extend more than half the distance from the surface l6 of the spherical-shaped body 12 to the center of the body 12. A solid-type fabric conditioning material is deposited in the openings 14 and bonds thereto. In the form of the invention as shown in FIG. 3, the ball 22 has a plurality of bores 24 therein which are radially spaced and which are filled with the fabric-conditioning material and preferably extend more than one-half the radius of the sphere 22.

In the form of the invention as shown in FIG. 5, the spherical body 32 is provided with a plurality of openings 34 therein which are generally rectangular in shape in cross section and are filled with a suitable solid-type fabric conditioning material 36.

In FIG. 6 there is shown a form of the invention similar to that of FIG. 4 wherein the spherical body 42 is provided with a hollow center 48. The bores 44 communicate with the hollow center 48 and are filled with the solid fabric-conditioning material 46 which is integral with the solid fabric-conditioning material 50 in the hollow center 48.

In use, the ball is disposed with the clothes to be dried in the conventional household dryer and the fabric-conditioning material will be released during the drying cycle. The temperature of the drying cycle and the wiping action of the tumbling garments with respect to the ball will control the release of fabric conditioning material.

A latitude of modification, substitution and change is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features.

I claim:

1. A device for conditioning fabrics in a dryer comprising a sphere having openings in the surface thereof, and solid fabric conditioner material disposed in said openings.

2. A device according to claim I, wherein said openings are wedge-shaped segments.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said openings are plurality of spaced bores.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said openings are rectangular-shaped in cross section.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said sphere is of a foamed synthetic plastic material.

6. A device for conditioning fabrics in a dryer comprising a body of synthetic plastic foamed material having a hollow center and a plurality of openings therein communicating with said hollow center, a core of solid fabric conditioning material in said hollow center and extending integrally into said openings.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said body and said core are spherical in shape.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said openings include a plurality of radially extending spaced bores.

9. A device for conditioning fabrics in a dryer comprising a resilient spherical body of synthetic plastic-foamed material having a plurality of openings therein, and solid fabric conditioner material disposed and secured in said openings, said openings extending at least one-half the radius of said spherical body. 

1. A device for conditioning fabrics in a dryer comprising a sphere having openings in the surface thereof, and solid fabric conditioner material disposed in said openings.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said openings are wedge-shaped segments.
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said openings are plurality of spaced bores.
 4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said openings are rectangular-shaped in cross section.
 5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said sphere is of a foamed synthetic plastic material.
 6. A device for conditioning fabrics in a dryer comprising a body of synthetic plastic foamed material having a hollow center and a plurality of openings therein communicating with said hollow center, a core of solid fabric conditioning material in said hollow center and extending integrally into said openings.
 7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said body and said core are spherical in shape.
 8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said openings include a plurality of radially extendinG spaced bores.
 9. A device for conditioning fabrics in a dryer comprising a resilient spherical body of synthetic plastic-foamed material having a plurality of openings therein, and solid fabric conditioner material disposed and secured in said openings, said openings extending at least one-half the radius of said spherical body. 